A Naruto Kind of Ninja
by Twinspired
Summary: Naruto is not your average ninja. Never entering the academy, but still rising in the ranks of shinobi with Kakashi as his mentor. See a very different twist on the story of Naruto. Rated T for Language.
1. Chapter 1

Kakashi grumbled as he rubbed the counter clean with a dirty rag. He wiped his hands on his apron and leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. Today was not a good day. Not at all.

His meeting with the Hokage this morning had not gone the way he had hoped. Kakashi thought back to it. He entered through the door after politely knocking. Completely respectful for once as he waited for Sarutobi to speak. His summons to the Hokage's office was rather sudden. Naruto had just left to go to the park when he got the hawk.

The old Hokage leaned back in his chair and played with his pipe. "Kakashi, how are you today? How is Naruto?

"I'd say we are both doing well." The silver haired nin paused before continuing, "What can I do for you Hokage-sama?"

"Well, I wanted to discuss something important with you. About Naruto."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Sarutobi was leaning forward on his desk and he was no longer fidgeting. His eyes were hard and his mouth set. A decision had been made.

"I am not giving him up."

"Kakashi, you have had him in your care for about 2 years. He is almost four years of age and you have not officially adopted Naruto, so the question remains. What are your intentions for him?"

Kakashi visibly cringed at the harsh tone the Hokage used. However, his own anger rose up and he couldn't leave out the bite in his next statement. "Intentions? My intentions have always been clear. I will not let him be raised in an orphanage, alone, nor will I allow him to live on his own as you have suggested."

"Kakashi, the boy must be confused. He needs a solid support system." The older man shifted and spoke in a softer tone. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but you are young and grieving. You suffered a great loss and have had not had enough time to deal with it. I understand. However, if you can't come to terms with it and raise Naruto with your full attention, I cannot in good conscious allow him to continue living with you."

"Hokage-sama, please…" Kakashi pleaded with the older man. "I just need more time. Why do we have to rush things?"

"It is a huge responsibility raising a child. If you are not serious about raising Naruto now, then allow him the chance to have a real family." Sarutobi slammed his fist on his desk with emphasis.

"I can't leave him. He's all I have left. Please don't take him away from me."

"Kakashi..." The Hokage rubbed his temple and he looked at the copy-nin with sympathy. "I know you love him. He does need that, but he also needs a family in order to grow. You are not in a healthy state of mind."

"I am his family. If you take him away, you can't guarantee him happiness, or a stable family. Why take him away from me, his only support? It didn't bother you before. Who is pressuring you?" The teenager held the Hokage's gaze and took a step back when he noticed there was an emotion conveyed sharply on the old man's face. Shame.

"It must be done Kakashi. Protection is not always wanted, or received with gratitude. You know the politics. The boy needs to be protected. He would be safer in the orphanage."

"Putting him in an orphanage will not hide what he houses. He will be isolated as soon as he enters that place. Hiding him through sheer numbers is not enough. Many of the villagers already know he is its vessel. That's why I haven't adopted him. I know he will only gain more attention if people find out that I have decided to adopt a 'random' child." Kakashi laced on the venom in his voice. "My mental health has nothing to do with it. I have always made my plans in the best interest of Naruto."

The Hokage sighed and smirked. "I know."

"What? Then why are you questioning me like this…"

"I am being pressured to put him in an orphanage."

"By the council?"

The Hokage stood and walked to the window. "Yes. The council is calling him dangerous. Despite my law, people are still discussing Naruto in subtle ways in reference to the Kyuubi. I am trying to protect him. He needs discretion in order to be safe and you come from a prestigious ninja family after all. Any training he would receive from you would only increase their fear of him."

"It would also protect him. Let them stew in their ignorance. You are the Hokage, they must listen to you. Tell them I am taking care of him for their protection, to watch over the vessel in case he loses control. Please. Just do whatever you have to so he doesn't have to be alone in that horrible orphanage."

"I will try. Just know that I might have to talk to you about this again, to keep up pretenses. Be ready." The Hokage dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Kakashi sighed as he listened to the sounds of the village, still leaning in his relaxed position. He was half tempted to just adopt Naruto and be done with these talks, but that would be a rash decision. A bigger target would be put on his back and then Naruto would truly be all alone. No mother, no father and no brother.


	2. Chapter 2

An Anbu Konoha ninja flipped into the air, barely avoiding the blast from a seal that was placed on the tree behind him. Scanning the perimeter, the masked ninja searched for the location of his most recent attacker. It was quiet. Even the wind stilled, as though holding its breath in anticipation for the next assault.

"You are skilled", the ninja spoke," but don't make the mistake," He blurred into a jump, simultaneously slamming his enemy into a tree by his throat, "of assuming you can beat me." The masked man slammed his assailant into the tree again, drawing a low groan from the traitor's mouth.

"I won't tell you anything, Leaf-nin." Said the white-haired assailant. The masked man was impressed this ninja had managed to speak at all in his injured condition. The traitor spoke again, "I can withstand anything trash like you can dish out." Sighing the Anbu rubbed his temple. If he waited any longer, this guy might prove to be dumber than he originally thought.

"You won't have to, Mizuki." The Anbu hissed. "I caught you in the act, and now you will go before the Hokage and face your punishment for treason. I hope you enjoy the Blood Prison." Drawing his fist back he punched the ex-teacher in the face, knocking him out.

Three more masked ninjas appeared beside the Anbu and the unconscious traitor. "Captain, we found the boy Mizuki tried to trick. Iruka is with him, but appears to be injured."

"Very well." The now identified Captain said and gestured to the man at his feet, "I will take care of this traitor myself. In the meantime, Wolf…"

The shortest Anbu straightened at the address. "Yes Captain."

"I want you to assist Iruka and the young boy, the team will meet back at headquarters for a debrief. Dismissed."

The three ninjas wasted no time and were gone before a second had lapsed from the Captain's command.

Wolf sped towards the voice of his old teacher. He could hear the kid that was tricked into stealing the scroll crying and apologizing. Cringing at the sight of snot running down the kid's face, the young Anbu mumbled, "Jeez kid, get a tissue." Poor Iruka was acting as the boy's sponge, mopping up his face with his own sleeve.

The Anbu jumped from his tree and landed in a crouched position before the pair. "Iruka, how are your injuries?" Wolf straightened.

"Ah Wolf, good to see you." Iruka clenched his teeth and grimaced. "I wish I could say I've had worse, but being impaled is pretty hard to top."

The Anbu chuckled and knelt by the injured man, deftly motioning the kid to make room. "I've had worse." Wolf got to work staunching the blood flow as he waited for the med-nins to arrive. Satisfied with his progress, he stole a look at the academy student. "Hey kid."

Startled by the frightening mask focused purely on him, the boy flinched, "What do you want?" he spat.

Wolf slapped the kid gently behind the head, "Not your lip. I just wanted to make sure you weren't blaming yourself. Anyone could have fallen for that traitor's ruse."

"But I was stupid enough to fall for it, and Iruka-sensei got hurt shielding me. So much for seeing underneath the underneath. I'm a terrible ninja."

Wolf sighed. "Well, you aren't technically a ninja yet, so you have that excuse. Plus, it would be stupid not to trust someone you thought was your comrade. Mizuki is a seasoned ninja and it's unfortunate that you were the sorry S.O.B. that he decided to use for his plan."

The kid was still looking at his shoes in shame. Wolf ruffled the kid's head, messing up his brown locks, and forced him to look up into the holes of his mask. He chuckled as the kid looked up at him with his wonderstruck golden eyes, then released the kid and returned to helping Iruka.

"Wolf-san, thank you." A quiet voice muttered beside his elbow.

"No problem, kid."

"Kazuya. My name is Kazuya." The golden-eyed boy squeaked out, burning red.

Iruka chuckled and rubbed his face tiredly as he watched his student and former student interact. "Thanks for the help, Wolf. I think I hear the med-nins making their way over here. You better report back to headquarters. I'm all set here."

Wolf lazily saluted the teacher, "Whatever you say, Sensei. Technically I outrank you, so I think I'm gonna ignore that and stick around."

Iruka smiled up at the Anbu. "Why are you so annoying, Wolf-san?"

"It is my mission after all." Wolf said with a smile and a tilt of his head. "Maybe I should give you some drugs for the pain, you are acting pretty strange. Maybe it's the old age. Should I start calling you Oji-san?" Wolf put a finger to his chin, as if in thought.

A tic marked the side of Iruka's forehead and he grinded his teeth. "You need to respect your elders, Wolf-san, no matter your rank."

"Emphasis on elder."

"Why you…"

Kazuya was completely baffled as he watched the verbal exchange between the esteemed Anbu, and his Sensei. Those two weren't slowing down in the verbal slam downs, and didn't seem to be holding back. Eventually, the med-nin arrived on the scene.

"Ahem..." Both men paused at the sound, and acknowledged the med-nin glaring at them. "If you two children are done, I would like to see the patient."

"Of course, Suzuki, he's all yours." Wolf bowed to the med-nin and clucked his tongue as he sauntered passed Iruka. "To be continued Sensei."

Iruka rolled his eyes and crossed his arms at the young Anbu. "Don't get lost on your way to headquarters…again."

Wolf let out a low chuckle and waved to the young boy. "Bye Kazuya, take care of Iruka-sensei. Send him to me if he gets into any trouble. Wouldn't want him to get injured again."

Iruka objected, but it was lost on the Anbu as he ran towards headquarters. The voice of his past teacher became fainter, as he jumped through the forest on the branches of trees towards the village entrance.

Wolf arrived at the secret Anbu entrance in record time. He silently entered the briefing room, where his team waited.

"Wolf-san!" Boar eagerly walked up to his senior. "You were fantastic tonight."

"The Captain was the one who apprehended the traitor." Hawk pointed out.

"But it was Wolf's plan that caught that worm." Boar countered. Wolf shook his head at the interaction between his teammates. The smallest things always amazed his older friend.

"Enough. Let's get on with the debrief." The Captain interrupted.

After a thorough team report and promises to meet up later, the team disbanded for the night. Wolf was about to follow his friends out when he noticed the Captain motioning him over. He promptly stood at attention in the middle of the room, "Sir."

"Wolf, you did good work today. You played a significant role in finally apprehending that traitor. The plan you executed was flawless."

"Thank you, Sir."

"You have a devious mind, Wolf. Few would think to use an academy student as bait to lure out the traitor."

"There were some unexpected developments, Sir. My plan didn't account for interference from Iruka, or this kid's life being affected. My undercover agent was supposed to be the target for Mizuki. Instead Saizo Kazuya was tricked into stealing the Forbidden Jutsu Scroll."

"Yes, but this kid is now a hero. He protected the scroll, and we apprehended Mizuki. It was a bit messy at the end, but the flawlessness came from the plan itself."

Wolf clenched his fists to his side, "Sir, what will happen to the boy?"

"He will return to the academy to finish his training. He is only ten. It would do him good to gain more knowledge before entering our world, don't you think?"

Wolf nodded sharply. "I believe that's for the best, Sir. Let him keep his innocence longer."

"You know more than most Wolf."

Smiling ruefully Wolf agreed. "I would have joined the academy if I had the choice, Captain."

"You would have been sorely missed in our headquarters if you had that option. Even when you were that cheeky little prankster at four years old. Now, for the real business of my summons." The Captain gestured to a document on his desk. Looking closer Wolf realized it was signed by the members of the squad and the Captain's own graceful signature.

Wide eyed, Wolf scanned the paper in silence.

"Before you accept, I want you to know that you have the full support of every Captain in Anbu, as well as your current teammates. You may be young, but you are exceptional. Top of your class. Your five years of service to the Hokage and your impeccable record are enough for this promotion."

"I would be honored to serve, Sir."

"Very good Wolf. With that, you are dismissed." Wolf walked to the door in silence. "Wait a moment…this is off the record, but I want you to know that I am proud of you. It will be an honor for me to serve at your side."

Wolf bowed once more and took off towards his locker. Once there he took off his porcelain mask and slipped out of his Anbu armor, donning his black shirt and jounin jacket. Making sure his cloth mask stayed covered over his nose, he made his way to his favorite restaurant to celebrate.

Warmth exuded from the busy stand, which could be felt from the other side of the street. The smells of delicious food were enough to make any man already stuffed with food to become instantly hungry with one whiff. Shuffling to his stool, Wolf picked up a menu.

"Naruto! It's been a while, kid." Teuchi smiled warmly at the golden-haired boy whose mask made him look like a carbon copy of the famous Copy-Ninja. "You been keeping busy?"

"Just lots of missions, Teuchi. I've been trying to distract myself, since Kakashi-nii has been taking his genin team out more and more." Naruto danced his fingers on the table as he looked at the menu. "I would like four miso pork Ramen bowls. Extra-large."

"Coming right up."

"If you're just going to order the same thing, why do you even pick up a menu?" Iruka sighed as he sat down next to the ninja he considered a brother.

"Oy, I just want to make sure it's what I want. Shouldn't you be in the hospital." Naruto said putting his hands behind his head, while slouching on his stool.

"Cheeky, kid." Iruka kicked the stool underneath the blonde, and laughed as the young Anbu had to right himself. "Kakashi on a mission then?"

"Yeah. Sasuke-teme, Sakura, and Konohamaru got another C-rank mission. Bandits terrorizing a village or something like that." Naruto freed his chopsticks. "How's Kazuya?"

"Better. You really helped him get out of his head. He should be fine. Young boys bounce back pretty quick, his confidence will return before long."

"Good." The blonde thought of his screw up and shook his head. The kid would be fine, luckily.

"I heard through the grape-vine about a certain promotion."

Naruto looked at his sensei with a blank expression before a smirk transformed his face. "Who blabbed?"

"I just saw Boar at the bar and he may have mentioned it. Congratulations Naruto. A Captain at your age is an incredible feat. I guess you have officially graduated from runt to top dog, huh."

The blonde grinned. "I may have received the promotion today, but it's just a formality. I've been leading squads for two years now."

"I know Kakashi will be proud."

At that Naruto's eyes dimmed and his face darkened. "Yeah."

Iruka shook his head, "Naruto, you have to give him some slack. He's your brother. I know he misses you."

"Sure, he has a great way of showing it."

"Just beat him up when he gets back. I'm sure it would be a nice surprise for Team 7 to officially meet you."

Naruto chuckled. "Maybe. It's just been kind of tense at home. After Old Man Hokage stepped down and Obaa-chan took over, Kakashi has been acting off. He's taken on more missions compared to the other rookie teams."

"You can loosen him up. Keep him on his toes with those pranks of yours."

"Ha. I haven't pranked him since before I entered Anbu. Still, it could be fun." Naruto set his money down next to his stack of empty bowls. "See you around Iruka. Later Teuchi."

Iruka frowned into his own bowl after the blonde left. He decided he needed to have a talk with Kakashi. Despite the somewhat active conversation they were having, Naruto ate four bowls and still finished before Iruka. Naruto always ate fast when he was anxious.

Iruka whispered to himself a silent prayer, "Take care of him, Kakashi. Naruto can't lose any more of his family."

 **Hey guys! First off, I will clear up any confusion, since this story is slightly different than the Naruto anime/manga you may know. In this story, Mizuki betrayed the village after the famous nine class graduated. Probably two years after, so Naruto would be 13 verging on 14. Although, he didn't go to the academy…..I don't want to give too much away, but that's how it is. Enjoy, and tune in next time…just kidding this isn't a TV promo….I will try to write the next chapter faster, but I am a busy woman.**


	3. Chapter 3

The locker room was bustling with activity, as the Anbu prepared for the day's missions. The rustling of armor being situated over broad shoulders, the clink of kunai, and loud halting conversations filled the small dusty room.

Boar leaned over to ask a question to his friend who was checking on the squad's mission packs. "Did you hear? Wolf-san was promoted to Captain yesterday."

Finished with his gear, the Anbu smirked and poked his friend's thigh. "Boar, you might want tone it down a bit. Just because you are friends with the guy doesn't mean you will get any special treatment."

Rubbing the back of his head Boar chuckled, "I'm just happy for him, he works harder than anyone I've ever met. He's a natural leader, it's about time his talent was recognized."

"Just hope he doesn't find out you've been blabbing his promotion to the whole village. He's a bit of a loose cannon when it comes to his privacy." The Anbu slid his cat mask over his face.

Boar adjusted his mask and slouched against the wall. "You don't think I know that. He doesn't even show his face. He keeps it half covered with that half-mask of his…" No matter how many times he tried to trick the young blond into taking it off. "We've been teammates for five years and I haven't even seen what he actually looks like."

"No one has…" Cat clipped his final belt into place and appraised his friend once more. "You realize while you've been day dreaming the whole unit left."

Boar looked around lazily and waved his hand absently. "Psh…so what."

Cat walked to the door and paused, "It's his first day on the job, do you want to be the last punk to show up to roll call?" He chuckled ominously, "But if you think it's all right take your time, polish your armor, or walk through the halls like you're taking a nice stroll in the park."

Boar paled behind his mask and his upper body stiffened.

"Kami knows I could use some entertainment this morning." Cat's figure blurred from the doorway.

Boar stiffly grabbed his bag and tried to keep calm. Wolf-san was the Captain of their squad now. He felt sweat bead on his neck and trickle slowly down his thick shirt. "I'm gonna get killed." He teleported to Room C, hurrying to his spot in line and glared at Cat, who was chuckling beside him.

He barely stilled his racing heart beat when he sensed the Captain's chakra somewhere in the room. It was intentional, to let them know he had arrived. Postures straightened, and any whispers instantly faded out.

"It's nice to see a change in command doesn't hinder this unit's functionality. It will be an honor to serve as your Captain. Now, let's move on to more important matters." The calm voice of Wolf permeated into every corner of the room.

Wolf could command a room with just a whisper, he even had the most senior members listening intently. Boar was impressed. There were some very capable members in this unit. Every Anbu no matter their rank had some experience leading squads. But, Boar knew that Naruto deserved the promotion more than anyone.

Naruto's official rank as Captain was given to him based on his experience and performance, as was custom in the Anbu. The duties included directing teams of three on missions as a Squad Captain, and leading large units in times of crisis. It was a huge honor for any Anbu to receive the promotion.

"You have your missions." The Anbu stayed at attention respectively, as Wolf continued, "Guard your comrades well. Dismissed."

The Anbu silently made their way out of the underground room, leaving behind Boar's team of three with the Captain.

Boar squirmed when Wolf turned his gaze to him. "Boar."

"Yes Captain." He cursed inwardly as Naruto idly walked behind him.

"I was dining with a friend last night who had some interesting news to tell me. Care to guess what he had to say?"

Boar spluttered. "I ignore village gossip when I can, Sir."

"Really." The Captain now stood directly in front of his squeamish subordinate. Even though he was shorter than most of the Anbu, Naruto had no problem intimidating any of them. "Apparently a rather loud village idiot was declaring that the youngest Anbu Captain was promoted. I tell you this, because that village idiot reminded me of someone.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I was just so excited for you, I couldn't keep the news to myself."

"What a fine quality that is to find in an Anbu. The inability to keep your mouth shut." Naruto's wolf mask looked frightening among the shadows, the haunting red snarl etched on the faded porcelain mask seemed to come alive. "Apparently exceptional Anbu also arrive later than everyone else."

Cat laughed aloud and shared amused glances with the other member of their squad, Rabbit. The Captain didn't miss a thing. Boar may not have been tardy, but arriving close to tardy is inexcusable. It can encourage lax behavior.

"Sir, I'm sorry. I will be more prompt as well as silent."

The Captain tilted his head to the side, giving him the look of a predator about to play with his food. "We should train later." The change of topic took Boar by surprise, and he was about to interject when he remembered his promise to be silent not ten seconds ago. "I have plenty of jutsu I have been wanting to try out. No one else has the time to train with me."

The three Anbu blanched at their Captain. It became a true battle for survival when one trained with Wolf. Naruto's mischievous nature was a terror. His prankster abilities helped him immensely, often leading to elaborately planned traps and a world of hurt for anyone training with him. When a ninja joined Anbu, special talents like that were exposed and cultivated.

"Training would be great, but how about I take you out for Ramen instead?" Boar gulped, his mouth going dry as he uttered, "My treat."

His teammates couldn't hide their amusement any longer and started to laugh. "The Captain's a bottomless pit…that's more than enough punishment." Rabbit slapped Boar across the back.

Boar was crying inside, hoping Naruto would sense his anguish and let him off with a simple warning. He was not so lucky.

"Okay, after the mission we will all train in the Forest of Death and be treated to Ichiraku's Ramen by our good friend Boar."

"Wait, why are we being punished too?" Rabbit stopped gleefully slapping Boar and crossed her arms. "We didn't do anything wrong."

"It'll be good training." Wolf gleefully rubbed his palms together. "In the meantime, we have a mission to complete." He ignored their grumblings and walked out of the room.

Boar let out a breath he had been holding. "I'm such an idiot."

Rabbit punched him in the arm as she stalked past him. "No kidding. Get ready to go hungry this week, because I plan to match the Captain bowl for bowl tonight.

 **Hey guys, I guess a little explanation is due for the lack of updates. I'm not a great writer and even though I can picture how I want this story to go in my head, I feel like it's getting lost in translation when it hits the paper. I've been editing the chapters trying to make it flow better, but its just not working out. I need to move on from this story. I'm going to be posting chapters, and you might notice some weird discrepancies in the characters. Just a heads up. So, if you feel like its not flowing well, that's because at this point, I'm just trying to move on with this story, so I can write the scenes I've been looking forward to and get this story finished. Its been almost a year since I last updated this story and I'm not making any promises on when updates will happen, but just know it won't be a year for the next update. I'm tweaking another chapter I have already written which will come out soon after this chapter. Thanks for reading, and kudos to those who are still following this story. It's been a treat! Until next time…**


	4. Chapter 4

Team 7 entered the village around dusk after a long mission, causing several disgruntled looks from villagers along the way to the Hokage's office. As Kakashi enjoyed his favorite orange book, his genin team were arguing at top of their lungs.

"This isn't The Sasuke Show. We should fight as a team, not as your backup." Konohamaru pointed his finger towards the brooding prince.

"Hey, it's not Sasuke-kun's fault you weren't able to take out a single bandit." Sakura fumed, talking over Sasuke who walked between the two of them.

Konohamaru stalked closer to her until their noses were almost touching. "It is when he uses a ninja net to keep us out of the way while he took them out. Sakura, how can you not be angry about that."

Not having a retort, she pushed the younger boy out of her way and continued to walk towards the Hokage Tower without a single glance back.

Konohamaru was fed up with his team. It's been two years since they were active, and they still hadn't made much headway on teamwork. Kakashi-Sensei had been relentless; they barely had breaks between missions. He thought his Sensei was trying to draw out their potentials with the increase in missions, but so far it was just making their team dynamic worse.

Konohamaru grabbed the grey-haired nin's green jacket from behind to grab his attention. "Sensei aren't you going to punish Sasuke for going solo, on a TEAM mission."

"Sorry, what's the problem?" Kakashi smiled as he put his book away.

Konohamaru let go of the jacket and growled. He would just have to bring it up to the Hokage. Hopefully she would be able to help their team.

Upon entering the Hokage's office he noticed Shizune in the corner looking pissed as she tenderly picked up broken glass from the floor. The Hokage was collapsed on her desk, drooling on important documents.

"Shizune, what happened here?" Kakashi asked looking nonplussed.

"Lady Tsunade happened here." She said with a huff. She picked up some strewn papers and slapped them on the desk. "I will take your mission report."

"One gang of bandits all taken care of," Kakashi said, giving Konohamaru a warning look to not mention Sasuke's escapades, "here's the completed mission report."

"Very good. If that's all, please enjoy a break for training. As you can see…" She gestured around the destroyed room, "we don't have any missions for you at the moment."

"Thank you Shizune." Kakashi and his team walked out of the tower. Before they dispersed they made plans to meet up at the bridge tomorrow morning for team training. Sakura grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him in the direction of her house. Konohamaru wondered if they were going to start dating soon with how touchy they had been recently. He watched them for a minute longer before deciding to head home.

"Just a minute Konohamaru."

The younger boy glared at his sensei. "I can't believe you are protecting Sasuke. He could have gotten us all killed."

Kakashi patted his charge's unruly hair. "Let's get some ramen. I need to discuss something with you." There was an unreadable look in his eyes.

Konohamaru thought about it. A free meal was probably worth a conversation. He nodded and followed Kakashi to the restaurant.

They reached Ichiraku's Ramen, which was bustling with activity. Konohamaru smiled softly, his Grandpa took him to this stand every week. He sat down at a stool and picked up a menu, even though he knew what he wanted to order. Kakashi took the seat next to him and ordered a large bowl of miso ramen. The same thing Konohamaru was going to order. He sighed and placed his order next.

He fingered the paper surrounding his chopsticks and waited in silence as their order was being prepared. Konohamaru was starting to feel irritated until Kakashi-sensei broke the silence.

"Do you think Sasuke has changed?"

Konohamaru was caught off guard. He spluttered, "What does that have to do-"

"Just think about it. I want to hear what you think." Teuchi placed their fresh noodles in front of them. While Konohamaru glared at the table Kakashi started to eat, a genjutsu covering his bare face.

Konohamaru ignored his grumbling stomach and tried to understand what his cryptic sensei was trying to imply. He thought back to Team 7's first day, and his first impression of the Uchiha. He pegged the guy as a snob. He scoffed, remembering how the Uchiha barely spoke to Sakura or him, even when directly spoken to, and how it was aggravating. During training Sasuke would attack on his own and he would ignore any help from his team. It was selfish, and Konohamaru despised the brooding ninja's ego and lack of concern for his teammates.

Granted Sasuke wasn't that bad anymore, but he was far from perfect.

"Of course, he's changed. It's been two years since we've been a team." Konohamaru said simply as he dug into his own meal.

"Yes, but in what ways?" Kakashi pressed.

"Well, he makes eye contact with me now," he smiled as he added, "and lets Sakura push him around. He used to put up more of a fight whenever she would drag us places."

Kakashi's eyes formed half-moons as he patted his genin on the head. "Exactly. This team has done wonders for Sasuke. He's come a long way from who he was two years ago."

Konohamaru slammed his chopsticks down. "Then why won't he trust us…why did he turn on his teammates in the middle of a fight? We are supposed to fight the enemy, not attack our comrades."

"Why do you think he did that?" Kakashi placed an elbow on the table to look directly into Konohamaru's eyes.

"Because despite how much he's changed, he's still a selfish, egotistical bastard, who wanted all the bandits for himself." Konohamaru huffed.

"Think about it. We were surrounded, he misdirected the bandits' attentions when he threw the net on Sakura and you. Then he used his Fire style: Fireball jutsu to take out all the bandits at once. It was an effective strategy." Kakashi stood up and paid for the ramen, he added, "Mainly, I think he was trying to protect you guys."

"That's stupid." Konohamaru said. He crossed his arms and continued, "We're stronger as a team. He made us more vulnerable."

Kakashi shook his head. "He did it because he cares for you guys. He doesn't want you two to get hurt. I think Sasuke deserves more credit than you are giving him. I believe two years ago he wanted to be strong only for himself and avenge his clan. Now, I think he wants to get stronger for another reason."

"To protect his team?" Konohamaru sighed and dropped his arms to his sides. "Okay, I get it Kakashi. Maybe I misjudged the guy. It just made me feel helpless. I don't want to be the reason my teammates die."

Kakashi smiled again. "I think Sasuke shares that fear." He lazily waved. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, later Sensei." Konohamaru stared into his cold bowl of Ramen. He was just about to leave when someone bumped into him. He looked quickly at the perpetrator only to stare. It was a boy about Sasuke and Sakura's age with blond, spikey hair. This boy had a black mask on just like Kakashi-Sensei and was dressed in a green Jounin jacket.

"Sorry about that, I just got a little excited. I can't wait to eat some ramen!" The masked blond boy gestured to the seat next to Konohamaru, "This seat taken?" Konohamaru could only stare in confusion at the exuberant nature of this mysterious ninja. "I'm gonna take that as a no." The blond plopped down in the seat and began ordering.

Konohamaru had never seen anyone besides Choji order as much food as this teenager, and he's huge. "You sure can eat a lot."

The mysterious ninja laughed, "So you do speak, I thought you couldn't understand Japanese." He broke his chopsticks and started on his first bowl, sighing in between bites. "You've outdone yourself Teuchi-san."

"Thanks Naruto, enjoy. I just hope you didn't scare your friends from eating here again after last week. The one who paid turned as white as my apron." They shared a laugh before the owner went back to serving his customers.

Konohamaru noticed this Naruto guy used the same genjutsu trick as Kakashi-Sensei while he was eating. "That's a neat trick."

"Yeah," Naruto leaned in as though sharing a secret, "it keeps my enemies from finding out my identity.

"Are you a ninja?" Konohamaru glanced at the green flak jacket with apprehension.

"Isn't almost everyone in this village. So, what's your story kid?"

Konohamaru was caught off guard. "My story?"

The stranger nodded excitedly, "Yeah, what does a genin like you think about? What are your dreams?"

Konohamaru looked suspiciously at the ninja, "Why?"

"Well you look like someone that would be fun to hang with." Naruto polished off his third bowl. "Oh, come on…here, I'll go first." Bright blue eyes sparkled as he turned to the younger boy and pointed his thumb into his chest. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki and my dream is to become the greatest ninja in the village. Now you?"

"Okay, I'll bite." Konohamaru paused, uncertain if he should reveal his identity. He steeled his nerves for Naruto's reaction, "I want to get out of the shadow of my grandfather, so I will no longer be known as The Honorable Grandson."

Naruto's eyes widened. Here goes, Konohamaru thought to himself. Whenever a ninja learned his grandfather was the Hokage, they treated him different.

"But that's a great nickname for when you become a Jounin," Naruto paused and gestured with his arm, "What's your name kid?"

"Konohamaru Sarutobi." He replied hesitantly.

"Your enemies will tremble in fear when they hear your name, Konohamaru Sarutobi, The Honorable Grandson. One mention of his grandfather, and you will all be vanquished… with honor." Naruto dramatically brought his fist to his chest and bowed his head. Then he looked up and smiled.

They both burst out laughing. "That puts a slightly better spin on it." Konohamaru replied, catching his breath.

"You can do it by the way." Naruto said after his laughter was controlled.

"Thanks, it might take some time though, I'm still a genin." Konohamaru said. "I hope to be entered in the upcoming Chunin exams. Then I'll show them what I'm made of."

Naruto slurped up some more ramen before replying. "I'm sure you will. It took a lot of training to get where I am today. Just work hard and never give up."

Konohamaru looked expectantly at Naruto before gathering his courage to ask the question that was bothering him. "So, I got moved up two years in the academy, but I don't remember seeing you there. What year did you graduate?"

Naruto chuckled, but it sounded humorless. "I don't doubt you've never seen me, I never attended the academy." Probably noticing Konohamaru's confusion he continued, "It's a long story. Some ninja don't necessarily need to attend the academy to work for the village. I was appointed by the Hokage as a jounin."

"That's so cool," Konohamaru gushed, "you must be really strong. When did you start training? How many A rank missions have you been on?"

"Another time kid, okay? I need to get on home." Naruto paid for his ramen, which totaled 15 bowls by Konohamaru's count. He wasn't sure how Naruto was able to eat so fast and talk at the same time.

"See you around?" Konohamaru asked turning around in his seat as his new friend walked out of the ramen stand. He was hopeful that he would see this Naruto guy again. He seemed fun and Konohamaru found himself idolizing the jounin.

"Probably." Naruto placed to fingers to his temple and saluted in a lazy manner. "Later." He blurred from the scene.

Konohamaru walked home and thought about all that had happened since he got back from his mission this morning. Naruto was pretty laid back, but he must be strong to be a jounin at thirteen. Feeling determined from his two conversations, Konohamaru decided to head to the training grounds with his bo staff. He'd be ready for training in the morning and maybe if he saw Naruto tomorrow he'd ask for a practice spar.

To kill some time, Naruto walked around the village until it got dark. He was avoiding going home. He felt like a coward. Making up his mind Naruto dragged his shoulders back, then let out a long exhale. "Let's get this over with." He steeled his mind and turned around.

The moon lit his way as he rambled to the district his apartment was in. Once he got home he kicked his sandals off at the door and thought about his conversation with Konohamaru. The kid had spunk. When he saw Kakashi leave Ichiraku's he decided it was the perfect chance to officially meet the youngest member of Team 7. He decided he liked hanging out with the younger ninja and would make an effort to speak to him again.

Naruto walked into the dark apartment with ghost-like ease. "How'd your mission go nii-san?" He called to the shape relaxing on the couch.

"It was a C rank, so not too difficult." Kakashi replied, not moving from his position. "You were out late. Were you out with your team?"

"More like your team." Naruto said nonchalantly.

Naruto saw his mentor twitch slightly, anyone else would have missed it.

"Or rather your youngest member." He amended.

Kakashi got up from his reclined position and walked to the fridge and just stared into its inner recesses. "I heard about your promotion." He grabbed a small can of carbonated water and pried it open with a pop. Naruto thought his brother seemed indifferent about it, like they were discussing the weather.

"Not exactly the congratulations I was hoping for nii-san." Naruto whispered under his breath. Not sure how to respond he decided to go to bed early and headed towards his room when he heard his brother's toneless voice carry across the room.

"I am proud of how strong you have become." Naruto paused. He slightly turned his head and noticed Kakashi was intensely staring back at him. His brother always spoke in precise way when he was trying to convey a hidden meaning. The blond was just promoted to Captain in one of the most skilled groups in Konoha and he still had a lot to learn. Kakashi seemed to think so too.

Naruto hated the distance between him and his brother. They used to joke around and be relaxed in each other's presence. Now every conversation they had was filled with tension and he couldn't pinpoint its origin, nor did he have the energy to do so tonight. So, he ignored the comment and walked on.

Kakashi watched as his little brother walked away, each quiet step reverberating off the walls and into his heart. He recalled a time of fond memories from Naruto's childhood and unclenched his fists, trying to release the anger that had washed over him. There was someone to blame for the state of him and his brother's current predicament. It was time to visit the Hokage.

 **Here's the next update I promised. Please review if you liked it or if have an idea for a scene you would like to see in this story. I have the beginning of the next chapter written, but it will take me a little while to edit it. Thanks again for reading! Until next time…**


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